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And you’re dating James now.
Sort of.
It doesn’t matter that the last time you and Sam watched a movie you almost—
“Wedding cookies?” Nico shoved a tin in front of my nose.
“Thanks,” I said, grabbing one drizzled with a red glaze before passing the tin off to Sam.
And although our fingers barely grazed each other, energy zipped through mine.
Rookie mistake.
Maybe I should start wearing gloves around him or get comfortable using my elbows?
He smiled, the white lights of the Christmas tree outlining the strands of his hair, and, dang it, a smile like that made you forget your name.
I took a bite of the cookie and groaned. God, I loved the sweet, almost licorice taste of anise.
“So, where’s your boyfriend tonight, Gianna?” Nico asked.
I coughed up a piece that hadn’t quite made it all the way down yet, and Leo reached over and patted my back a few times. “He’s in DC with his dad for a couple days,” he replied.
Boyfriend. Right.
I guess I had a boyfriend now?
“No doubt making big business deals about our little town, I’m sure,” Nico muttered.
“We’ve still got time, Nico,” Sam said, his eyes serious. “I think James may be coming around, and if he is, then who’s to say his dad won’t, too? Right, Gianna?”
I forced my best fake smile. “Right.” James may be coming around, but not in the way you think.
Nico hit play, and all of us settled into or on top of our blankets and sleeping bags. I tried to focus on the adorable and quirky John Cusack, but it was impossible to ignore the person on my right.
The nearness of Sam, and how cozy he looked with his hands behind his head, blanket up to his chin.
How easily I’d fit against him, my head on his chest.
My fingers brushing over the collar of his shirt…
And how I really shouldn’t be thinking about him when I was already with someone.
Around the time of the first ice-skating scene, my eyelids began to get heavy. The last thing I remembered before I drifted off was wondering whether Sam knew his freckles looked like the stars too.
“Gianna,” a faraway voice called as something warm touched my shoulder. “Psst, Gianna.”
I slowly opened my eyes, blinking as the lights from the tree blurred into view. The movie credits rolled on the television, soft voices came from the kitchen where the adults must’ve still been sitting with their coffee and dessert, and everyone around me was sound asleep except for Sam, who had a giddy look on his face.
“What’s going on?” I asked him, quickly wiping the corner of my mouth and praying he didn’t see me drooling—not that it wouldn’t be the first time, to be honest.
His smile widened as he pointed behind me toward Nona’s big bay window.
I turned around and gasped.
Big, fluffy white snowflakes drifted down to the ground, swirling and twirling with the light wind, already settling on the outdoor lights.
“Think they’ll fuss at us again if we sneak out there?” Sam whispered.
